New Year is considered as a very prominent and special time by the natives of Colombia. Colombia is considered as a country with a blend of different rich customs, and traditions, which are pretty perceptible by the way with which people in Colombia engage and celebrate New Year. Colombia, which is situated in the northwest part of South America, celebrates its New Year in accordance to the Georgian calendar, i.e. on January 1.
The geography of Colombia is characterized by containing five main natural regions that present their own unique characteristics, from the Andes mountain range region shared with Ecuador and Venezuela; the Pacific Ocean coastal region shared with Panama and Ecuador; the Caribbean Sea coastal region shared with Venezuela and Panama; the Llanos (plains) shared with Venezuela; to the Amazon Rainforest region shared with Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Colombia is one of only two South American countries which border both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Education is free and compulsory for five years in Colombia. Illiteracy is declining, having dropped from an estimated 90% at the end of the 19th century to an estimated 8.2% in 2000 (males, 8.2%; females, 8.2%).